Decision to modernize PNSC ships hailed

Business Recorder reported that Mian Zahid Hussain, president of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, welcomed a decision to expand and modernize the fleet of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC). He argued that any ship purchases should be carried out openly, through competitive financing and on commercially sound terms. In his view, adding vessels alone would not lift exports.

He described the move as timely progress toward trade sovereignty, energy security and conserving foreign exchange. He credited Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif with ordering the purchase and lease of more vessels, plus a plan to raise PNSC to international standards. The statement also praised Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his efforts to support calm and strategic stability across the Gulf.

According to the statement, PNSC added three oil tankers in January and February 2026 at a combined price of about USD 193.15 million. Those vessels contributed 272,039 deadweight tonnes, lifting the managed fleet from 10 to 13 ships, of which eight are tankers and five are bulk carriers. The corporation is also to grow to 30 ships by the end of 2027, and five additional vessels would take it from 13 to 18.